SMART Haz-Mat truck

Hazardous Materials response

The Mont Vernon Fire Department is part of the Souhegan Mutual Aid Response Team (SMART). SMART was created by the Souhegan Mutual Fire Aid Association (SMFAA) during the 1990s. As a member of the SMFAA, Mont Vernon decided to join with area communities to establish the capability to respond to Level A hazardous materials incidents (the most hazardous classification). Establishing a team of this caliber is an expensive proposition, both in startup capital and ongoing training and equipping. The cost of such an endeavor is beyond the monetary resources of the Town of Mont Vernon on its own. By joining with towns and cities from New Ipswich to Nashua, Hudson to Weare, we can assure that we have the capability to handle such hazardous incidents without bearing the cost alone.

The SMART team is governed by a standing commission within the SMFAA. Mont Vernon is represented through our membership in the SMFAA and also with a voting seat on the SMART commission.

Souhegan Mutual Aid Response Team (SMART)

The Souhegan Mutual Aid Response Team (SMART) is a fully trained and equipped Level A hazardous materials response team. The team is based in Nashua, at the Lake Street Community Fire Station. The team is staffed by full-time Nashua firefighters, who take on the added training and responsibility in addition to their regular firefighting duties.

In the event of an incident, the team is requested by the senior fire officer in charge, the incident commander. When requested the team responds from their quarters in Nashua with the Hazardous Materials truck, the Command Van, Nashua Engine 2, and a Nashua Deputy Fire Chief. The team will coordinate hazardous materials operations and will make entry if necessitated by the circumstances. The local fire officer is still in command of the incident, and the team does report through the local incident command system.